APAC: Architects Political Action Committee

APAC Fund Raising and Political Contributions

There are two components to political donations relative to the Government Affairs Committee (GAC) activities: acquiring donations and then making contributions with those funds. AIAMI dues cannot be used for political purposes. Contributions are strictly drawn from the APAC funds, so continued donations by the membership must be sought routinely. The GAC relies heavily on the Board of Directors for fund raising on behalf of the APAC, and also on its Legislative Day events. As the legislative challenges evolve, and the skill of rival forces improve, both maintaining (if not increasing) APAC funding levels and sharpening the focus of our targeted contributions must occur if AIAMI expects to continue to be successful in the legislative arena.

The carefully-studied distribution of APAC funds is a critical component of GAC’s strategy for continued success in the legislative arena, and there is no equivalent substitute for it. As usual, planning in connection with political contributions for this coming year is already underway, in consultation with the Lobbyist. To be successful, the contribution strategy must be statewide in scope and non-partisan in nature. The strategy must both recognize the current political reality and also anticipate the future. GAC could not develop an intelligent contribution strategy without professional advice from the Lobbyist.

While at times APAC monetary contributions alone can be an effective measure in building a relationship, the importance of constituents and AIAMI leadership attending a fundraiser in person and meeting the legislator cannot be overstated. Connections developed in this manner proved immensely valuable in the past and the same should be true in the future. APAC contributions were made to a long list of legislators, based on the advice and counsel of Kelley-Cawthorne. Beginning in 2012 the approval for political contributions was made by a new and separate Steering Committee which is governed by the APAC Board of Directors.